The Digital Dept vs NewGen: Which to Pick in 2026
Two agencies that mix talent and campaigns, on two sides of the Atlantic. The Digital Dept leads with a US managed creator roster under Dolphin Entertainment. NewGen holds brands and talent under one roof in the UK, with gaming roots. Talent-first versus creator and brand combined. Here is which fits, plus a software route.
Which one is right for you
Three buyers, three picks. Find the column that sounds like your team.
Choose The Digital Dept if
- You want a US managed creator roster
- You want talent management plus campaigns
- You want entertainment and pop-culture reach
Choose NewGen if
- You want brands and talent under one roof
- You want UK and gaming-rooted reach
- You want niche-community expertise
Choose Flinque if
- You want to find and vet creators yourself with no sales call
- You want flat published pricing you can start free
- You want to run discovery in-house, not hire an agency
The Digital Dept vs NewGen vs Flinque
Fourteen factors across all three, from agency type to real minimums. Flinque is the flat-price software option on the right.
| Factor | The Digital Dept | NewGen | Best valueFlinque |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Brands wanting US talent-first access | Brands wanting UK creator and brand work | Teams running discovery in-house |
| Agency type | Talent management and influencer firm | Independent creator and brand agency | Self-serve software, not an agency |
| Engagement model | Managed, talent and campaigns | Managed, agency plus talent | Flat monthly subscription |
| Typical minimum | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | Free, then $49/mo |
| Published pricing | No | No | $0 to $150/mo, public |
| Creator network | 200+ exclusively managed creators | Talent arm of around 70 creators | 10M+ verified, 200 data points each |
| Platforms covered | Instagram, TikTok, YouTube | Social, influencer, gaming-led | Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X |
| Services | Talent management plus brand campaigns | Agency, talent and social publishing | Discovery, vetting and audience data |
| Campaign management | fully managed | fully managed | You run it, software assists |
| Content and usage rights | Per campaign or representation | Per campaign or representation | You negotiate directly with creators |
| Paid amplification | Organic and paid influencer strategy | Niche-community and gaming strategy | Run your own whitelisting |
| Measurement and reporting | Reporting plus Dolphin network | BGF-backed, data and tech investment | Audience and fake-follower data built in |
| Team and locations | US, formed 2023 | London, founded 2015 as Kairos | Software with support included |
| Time to launch | After scoping | After scoping | Shortlist in minutes on the free plan |
How we compared: Engagement models and minimums come from each agency's own site plus public reporting and client reviews, cross-checked and dated June 2026. Where an agency hides its pricing we say undisclosed rather than guess a number. The verdicts are ours, not the agencies'.
What each agency actually does
What is The Digital Dept
The Digital Dept leads with talent and the roster behind it. Born in 2023 from the Be Social and Socialyte merger under Dolphin Entertainment, with Co-CEOs Sarah Boyd and Ali Grant at the helm, it is talent-first by design: a full-service influencer and talent management firm whose foundation is a roster of 200-plus exclusively managed creators reaching past 200 million people combined. Inside Dolphin, it can reach for PR houses like 42West and The Door when a campaign needs earned media or production.
Brands get both sides at once, representation and a managed roster plus organic and paid campaigns, with entertainment and pop-culture access through the wider Dolphin family. Rates are private. Against NewGen, The Digital Dept is the US talent-first pick with entertainment ties, while NewGen runs creators and brands together from the UK. The next section covers NewGen. A brand that would rather run its own creator search has a third route.
What The Digital Dept does well
- Talent management plus brand campaigns
- 200+ exclusively managed creators
- Backed by Dolphin Entertainment network
- Strong entertainment and pop-culture access
Where it falls short
- Roster-led, not open search
- No public pricing
- Managed only, no self-serve search
- US-centric
What is NewGen
NewGen grew from creator roots into an agency that keeps brands and talent under one roof. Founded in London in 2015 as Kairos by Mike Craddock, a former pro gamer and YouTuber, it began in gaming influencer marketing then scaled that niche-community knowledge into other sectors, rebranding to NewGen in 2024 after investment from BGF that consolidated Kairos Media, Kyma Media and Horizon. It now runs three divisions: an agency arm, talent management representing around 70 creators, plus social publishing that redistributes content at scale.
Its edge is being able to combine creators and brands in one place, with strong gaming and Gen-Z credentials and offices in London, Manchester and New York. Clients include PepsiCo, Porsche, Hasbro and Samsung. Pricing is not published. So where The Digital Dept is US talent-first with entertainment ties, NewGen is the UK creator-and-brand shop with gaming DNA. For brands that would rather run discovery themselves, there is a third path.
What NewGen does well
- Brands and talent under one roof
- Strong gaming and Gen-Z credentials
- Three divisions including social publishing
- BGF-backed, investing in data and tech
Where it falls short
- UK-centric base
- No public pricing
- Managed only, no self-serve search
- Gaming-weighted heritage
Head to head
The Digital Dept and NewGen both blend talent and campaigns, just on different continents. The Digital Dept is US talent-first, with 200-plus managed creators and entertainment access through Dolphin. NewGen runs brands and talent together out of the UK, with gaming roots and a talent arm of around 70 creators. One leans on a big US roster and pop-culture ties. The other combines creator and brand work with niche-community DNA. Your market and need pick the side.
There is a route around both. Flinque is software: 10M verified creators across four platforms, each with a fake-follower score, at one published price. You run the search in-house, no roster and no retainer.
Which should you actually pick
Forget the pitch decks for a second. Match the partner to the situation you are in.
You want US talent-first access
You want a managed creator roster plus campaigns with entertainment reach. The Digital Dept, under Dolphin, works that way.
→ Pick The Digital DeptYou want UK creator and brand work
You want an agency that runs both brands and talent with gaming and niche-community credentials. NewGen fits.
→ Pick NewGenYou want to run discovery yourself
No roster, no scoping call. You want to search 10M verified creators with a fake-follower check on each. Start free on Flinque and pay $49 only if you keep using it.
→ Pick FlinqueYou are testing influencer marketing
Both are quote-led managed agencies. Flinque free plan lets you find and vet verified creators with no card, then scales at a flat $49 a month.
→ Start with FlinqueFlinque: verified discovery at a flat price
If both feel like too much retainer and too little control, Flinque does one job and does it well. Find and vet real creators yourself, fast, then run the campaign in-house. No pitch deck, no monthly retainer, no discovery call to learn the price.
- 10M+ verified creators
- 4 platforms: IG, YouTube, TikTok, X
- 200 data points per creator
- 12 search filters
- Fake-follower check on every profile
- Free, $49, $150, published
See Flinque in action
Short walkthroughs on pricing, discovery and vetting from the Flinque team.
Influencer Discovery Platforms That We Made Easy and Affordable
Find Influencers for $49 a Month: Flinque vs Modash and HypeAuditor (2026)
Common questions about The Digital Dept and NewGen
What is the difference between The Digital Dept and NewGen?
How was NewGen formed?
What does The Digital Dept specialise in?
Which has gaming credentials?
How much do they cost?
How big are their talent rosters?
Can I find creators myself with either?
Is there a software alternative to both agencies?
Written & reviewed by Flinque Research Team
Influencer Marketing Research · View team →
Our research team specialises in influencer marketing strategy, creator analytics and platform comparisons. Details on this page were verified against agency sites, public reporting and client review platforms in June 2026.
Disclaimer: Information here is collected from publicly available sources, third-party review sites and vendor pages. Pricing and features change, so confirm current details with each provider before buying. This content is for informational purposes only.
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